Shoe stretcher



1933- c. o. OLSON 7 1,921,093

SHOE STRETCHER Filed March 17, 1931 .13 j 2 INVENTOR 7 Carl Used/r0180-8 BY M, g \wsxmx i0 ATTORNEYS WITNESSES :0 I 2y Patented Aug. 8, 1933UNITED STATES PATENT orrics 1,921,093 snon STRETOHER Carl Oscar Olson,New York, N. Y. Application March 17, 1931. Serial No. 523,322

15 Claims.

An object of the invention is to provide a shoe stretcher which has atoe member mounted to move on the body of the stretcher to permit theshoe stretcher to be used to advantage with right or left shoes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe stretcher with avamp member pivoted to the toe member with means for moving the vampmember relatively to the toe member to stretch the vamp of a shoe.

Still another object of the invention is to pro-,

vide the shoe stretcher with a counter member and means for moving thecounter member relatively to the body portion of the shoe stretcher.

A further object of the invention is to provide a body of a shoestretcher in two parts which move in guideways longitudinally of eachother and which may be secured relatively to each other by meansprovided. A toe member is pivoted to one of the parts of the body and avamp member is pivoted to the toe member and is adjustable relativelythereto by means provided, a counter member being pivoted to the otherpart of the body and being adjustable relatively thereto by meansprovided.

Additional objects of the invention will appear in the followingspecification in which the preferred form of the invention is described.

In the drawing similar reference characters refer to similar parts inall the views, of which Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the shoestretcher,

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the shoe stretcher with the body raisedand the counter member raised to fit a high heel shoe,

Figure 4'is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

By referring to the drawing it will be seen that the body consists oftwo members and 11, the member 11 having a threaded orifice 12 in whicha screw 13 meshes, the screw 13 extending in a slot 14 in the member 10so that when the thumb piece 15 of the screw is turned to move the screwdownwardly the thumb piece 15 will press against the body member 10 tohold the members 10 and 11 relatively to each other. The body member 10has downwardly extending sides 16 which engage the body member 11 atshoulders1'7, the downwardly extending sides 16 having pins 18 whichmove in slots 19 at the sides of the body member 11. It will be seen,therefore, that a shoe stretcher may be disposed in a shoe and when sodisposed the body members 19 and 11 may be moved relatively to eachother to fit the shoe, and the body members 10 and 11 may be securedrelatively to each other by turning the thumb piece 15 on the screw 13.

The shoe stretcher may be used for either right or left shoes inasmuchas the toe member 20 is connected with the body member 10 by a universaljoint 21, the body member 10 having a ball portion 22 which is disposedin a recess 23 in a bearing member 24, the bearing member 24 havingflanges 25 with apertures 26 through which screws 27 extend, the screws27 meshing in threaded openings 28 in a member 29 secured to the toemember 20. In this manner the toe member 20 may be moved either to theright or to the left, as illustrated by the dotted lines in Figure 1 tofit a right or a left shoe and it is also possible for the body of theshoe stretcher to be raised, as indicated in Figure 3, so that the shoestretcher may be used with a high heeled shoe. This bearing member24also prevents the-possible twisting of the shoe out of shape as it isstretched, inasmuch as the toe member 20 may accommodate the shoerelatively to the body.

Pivoted to the toe member 20 on a transverse axis 30 there is a vampmember 31 which is provided with a threaded opening 32 through which ascrew 33 extends, the screw 33 having a transverse handle 34 by which itmay be readily turned, the screw 33 being positioned for engaging thebody member 10 so that When the shoe stretcher is disposed in a shoe andthe toe member has moved to fit the toe of the shoe, the vamp member 31may be raised as may be desiredby turning the screw 33 by means of itshandle 34 to stretch the vamp.

The body member 11 has a vertically extending rear portion 35 with athreaded orifice 36 in which a screw 37 meshes and which may be turnedby the finger piece 38, the screw 37 being disposed for engaging acounter member 39 which has sides 40 which are pivoted at 41 to thevertically extending rear portion 35 of the body member 11. it will beseen that this counter member 39 is hollow and is provided with a bottom42 which is disposed under the rear portion of the body member 11 andpreferably the counter member 39 is also provided with a top 43 which isdisposed above the rear portion of the body member 11. When the vamp ofthe shoe has been stretched as desired, it will be understood that thecounter of the shoe may be stretched by turning the screw 37 by means ofthe finger piece 38, which serves to move the counter member 39rearwardly to press against the counter of the shoe as may be desiredfor stretching purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shoe stretcher, a body member, a toe member pivoted thereto on avertical axis, a vamp member pivoted to the toe member, and positivemeans for adjusting the vertical position of the vamp member relativelyto the toe member.

2. In a shoe stretcher, a body member having a portion for disposal atthe shank of a shoe, a toe member pivoted to the body member in front ofsaid portion, a vamp member pivoted to the toe member, and means foradjusting the position of the vamp member relatively to the toe member.

3. In a shoe stretcher, a body haying a portion for disposal at theshank of ,a shoe, a toe member, a universal joint connecting the toemember in front of said portion with the body, a vamp member pivoted tothe toe member, and means for adjusting the position of the vamp memberrelatively'to the toe member.

.4. In a shoe stretcher, a body, a toe member, a universal jointconnecting the toe member with the body, a vamp member pivoted to thetoe member and provided with a threaded orifice, and a screw meshing inthe threaded orifice and disposed for engaging the body.

5. In a shoe stretcher, a body, a toe member pivoted thereto, a vampmember movable relatively to the toe member and having a threadedorifice, and a screw meshing in the threaded .oridice and positioned forengaging the body.

6. In a shoe stretcher, a body, a counter memher having sides pivoted tothe body and a back.

for. connecting the sides, the counter member having a portion normallyextending below the body, and means for moving the counter member at itspivot relativelyto the body.

-7. In a shoe. stretcher, a body, a .toe member pivoted to :the body, avamp member pivoted to the toe member, means for adjusting the positionof the vamp member relatively to the toe member, a counter memberpivoted .to the "body, and means tor adjusting the position .of-thecounter member relatively -;to the body.

v8. In a shoe stretcher, ibody members adjustable relatively .to eachother, means for securing the "body members in adjusted position, a toemember pivoted to a body member, a vamp member pivoted to the toemember, means for adjusting the position ofkthevamp member relatively tothe :toe member, a counter member pivoted to a .body member, and meansfor adjusting the position .of the counter member relatively to the saidbody member.

'9. In a shoestretcher, body members adjustable relatively to eachother, means for securing the body members in adjusted position, a toemember, a universal joint connecting the toe member to a body member, avamp member pivoted to the toe member on a transverse axis, means foradjusting the position of the vamp member relatively to the toe member,a counter member pivoted on a transverse axis to the body member, andmeans for adjusting the position of the counter member relatively to thelast mentioned body member.

10. In a shoe stretcher, a body, a toe member pivoted to the body, avamp member movable relatively to the toe member and having a threadedorifice, and a screw meshing in the threaded orifice and positioned forengaging the ody.

11. In a shoe stretcher, a body, a toe member pivoted to the body onaxes at an angle to each other, a vamp member pivoted to the toe member,and positive means for adjusting the position of the vamp membervertically relatively to the toe member.

12. In a shoe stretcher, a body, a toe member pivoted to the :body onaxes at an angle to each other, a vamp member pivoted to the toe memberand provided with a threaded orifice, and a screw meshing with thethreaded orifice and dis.- posed for engaging the body.

13. In a shoe stretcher, a body member having a toe member, a secondbody member having a counter member, one of the body members having alongitudinally extending slot and sides, pins extending from the saidsides, the other body member having shoulders engaged by the said sides,slots in which the pins are disposed and a threaded orifice, and a screwmeshing in the threaded orifice in the last mentioned body member torengaging the other ,body member at the sides of its slot.

- l4. Ina shoe stretchena body member'for disposal at the counter of ashoe and having a portion extending forwardly of the shank of the shoe,a .toe member for engaging the bottom or the inner portion .of the toeof the shoe, the .toe member being pivoted to the body member .on axesat an :angle .to each other in front of the said portion.

15. In a shoe stretcher, a body member for disposal at the counter of ashoe, a toe member for engaging the bottom of the inner portion .of thetoe of the shoe, the toe member being pivoted to the body member on axesat an angle to each other, a vamp member movable vertically relativelyto the toe member, and positive means for moving the vamp memberrelatively to the toe member.

CARL OSCAR OLSON.

